Eyre Peninsula’s Mortlock Shield faces fight for survival

It’s recognised as one of the oldest footy carnivals on the continent but modern pressures have organisers searching for new ways to keep the traditional competition alive.

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One of the state’s oldest country football carnivals faces a fight for its survival after a review urged major changes to protect its future.

A group of Eyre Peninsula teams have competed in the Mortlock Shield Carnival, at Port Lincoln every June long weekend since the mid 1930s.

But the event, the longest continuous running football carnival in Australia, is in peril as it faces multiple threats including declining crowds, reduced sponsorship and rising costs.

The Eyre Peninsula Football Council, which oversees the shield for the South Australian National Football League, has launched has investigation into its operations.

A draft review report, currently out for consultation to the member leagues, outlines 57 recommendations to secure its long-term future.

Mid West captain Dillon Montgomerie in action against Lincoln Districts during a Mortlock Shield match at Port Lincoln.

Among the ideas floated included inviting a SANFL under 18 or 23 team to compete during the weekend, conducting a parallel netball carnival, creating a women’s shield, twilight games, restricting teams and players as well as moving the event to other peninsula towns.

It also urges new experiments, leadership and management structures.

While the carnival’s operation has been relatively successful — this year it posted a small profit — the report states that a plan is needed to “maximise the efficiencies of operation to ensure a secure future for the competition”.

“The carnival is recognised as the longest continuous running football carnival in Australia,” it states.

“It is very obvious for the Mortlock Shied Carnival to flourish and succeed there has to be change from the current ‘business as usual’ approach.”

The number of teams has fluctuated but this year it involved players from five leagues — Port Lincoln City and Districts, Great Flinders, Eastern Eyre, Mid — West End Far West.

The 24 page review outlines 14 “threats” to the carnival’s future including declining crowds and populations, reduced sponsorship, league “parochialism”, lack of volunteers, increasing costs, failed planning, poor weather as well as a “lack of courage to make the hard decisions”.

Netball teams once competed on the same weekend but now instead play in Adelaide at a state country carnival that long weekend, which has contributed to the smaller Port Lincoln crowds.

“A change is generally brought about by internal or external pressure — in this instance it is partly due to finances, carnival management issues, changing football environment in the region, costs pressures etc,” the review states.

“This will need Mortlock Shield Inc to look at changes to its strategy, plans, product, services and operations.”

A 2007 business plan warned the competition’s success was linked to local prosperity. In its “hey day” the peninsula supported more than 50 teams but there are now fewer than 26.

Mortlock Shield interim chairman, Tony Irvine, said while some of the ideas were “left field”, many were just common sense.

“We have played at Mortlock for more than 80 years and we want to make sure we can play for another 80 more,” he said.

“It needs to live on and we need to secure its long-term sustainability.”

The council will decide which recommendations to accept later this year.